Passiflora antioquiensis H. Karst.

RHS Plant Profile

banana passion fruit

Synonyms

Tacsonia vanvolxemii

Climber Wall Shrub Conservatory Greenhouse

Vigorous climber to 5m or more, with deeply 3-lobed mid to dark green leaves, downy beneath, and pendent flowers to 12cm across, with bright rose-red flowers to 14cm across, with slender, long green tubes and small violet coronas, flowering in summer followed by edible yellow fruit with a delicate flavour

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 2.5-4 metres
Max Height: 4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H2

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Passifloraceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Climbing
Genus: Passiflora are mostly tender tendril-climbing shrubs, with simple or palmately-lobed, generally evergreen leaves and showy flowers of distinctive structure with often colourful coronal filaments, followed by conspicuous fruits, edible in some species
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Colombia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Fast-growing climber for sun or partial shade, thrives in moist but well-drained soil. Ideal for conservatories; in areas where temperatures drop to below 5-7°C, grow in a container and overwinter indoors, see passion flower cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 13 to 18°C in spring or root semi-hardwood cuttings in summer. Layering can be carried out in spring or autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Sub-tropical
Conservatory and greenhouse
Edible fruit

Pruning

Pruning group 11 or pruning group 12 in early spring

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely) and a virus